System for selecting modular implant components

Abstract

A method for selecting modular neck components for hip implants based on independent variables associated with physical characteristics of the implant, including leg length, offset, and anteversion. During surgery, the surgeon may be confronted with a need to change a preoperatively-chosen modular neck. For example, the surgeon may desire a change in at least one of the variables, e.g., leg length, offset, and/or anteversion. The present method allows the surgeon to quickly and easily select a different modular neck based on an evaluation of one of the variables without requiring reevaluation of the other variables. The method may include preoperative planning in which a template including a grid coordinate system is used.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for facilitating selection of an orthopedic implant for implantation in an anatomical structure of a patient using an image of the anatomical structure, the system comprising:
 a template comprising a reference marker and a grid coordinate system including a plurality of reference points, the reference marker configured to locate the template and the plurality of reference points relative to the image of the anatomical structure; 
 a first orthopedic implant component; and 
 a plurality of second orthopedic implant components attachable, in the alternative, to the first orthopedic implant component, each of the plurality of second orthopedic implant components defining a physical characteristic different from another second orthopedic implant component, 
 wherein the plurality of second orthopedic implant components comprises a plurality of modular neck components for an orthopedic hip implant, with the reference marker representing an orthopedic stem configured to couple to the modular neck components, and 
 wherein each of the plurality of reference points of the grid coordinate system is referenced to one of the plurality of second orthopedic implant components. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the template is configured to be placed over the image to align the reference points of the grid coordinate system with one or more locations on the image of the anatomical structure, and wherein the reference points include at least one of a mark or a cutout on or in the template. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of second orthopedic implant components includes at least one subset in which at least one of a first, second, and third implant variable associated with a respective different physical characteristic of the implants is constant and at least another of the first, second, and third implant variables varies. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 3 , wherein the first implant variable corresponds to leg length, the second implant variable corresponds to offset, and the third implant variable corresponds to anteversion. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the grid coordinate system corresponds to at least a first variable and a second variable, the first variable associated with a first physical characteristic of the second orthopedic implant components and the second variable associated with a second physical characteristic of the second orthopedic implant components. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 5 , wherein one of the variables is arranged along a first axis of the grid coordinate system and another of the variables is arranged along a second axis of the grid coordinate system which is orthogonal to the first axis. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 5 , wherein the plurality of reference points further corresponds to a third variable, with the first variable corresponding to leg length, the second variable corresponding to offset, and the third variable corresponding to anteversion. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 5 , wherein the plurality of reference points further corresponds to a third variable associated with a third physical characteristic of the second orthopedic implant components and the plurality of second orthopedic implant components comprises an arrangement of components including at least one subset in which at least one of the first, second, and third variables is constant and the others of the first, second, and third variables varies, with the arrangement comprising a graphical representation arranged according to the at least one subset. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 5 , wherein the first variable is associated with one of a length characteristic, an offset characteristic, and an anteversion characteristic of the plurality of second orthopedic implant components, and the second variable is associated with another one of the length characteristic, the offset characteristic, and the anteversion characteristic of the plurality of second orthopedic implant components. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 9 , wherein the first variable is arranged along a first axis of the grid coordinate system and the second variable is arranged along a second axis of the grid coordinate system which is orthogonal to the first axis. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of second orthopedic implant components includes a first neck component and a second neck component, at least one of the length characteristic, the offset characteristic, and the anteversion characteristic of the first neck component differing from the respective characteristic of the second neck component. 
     
     
       12. A system for facilitating selection of a neck component for a hip implant for implantation in an anatomical structure of a patient using an image of the anatomical structure, the system comprising:
 a template comprising a reference marker and a grid coordinate system that includes a plurality of alternative reference points that are viewable on the template at the same time by a surgeon, the reference marker configured to locate the template and the plurality of alternative reference points relative to the image of the anatomical structure; and 
 a plurality of neck components for a hip implant system, each of the neck components configured to be coupled to an orthopedic stem; 
 wherein each of the plurality of alternative reference points of the template corresponds to one of the plurality of neck components, and wherein the surgeon moving from a first reference point to a second reference point on the grid coordinate system can identify, respectively, a corresponding change from a first neck component in the plurality of neck components to a second neck component in the plurality of neck components for implantation in the anatomical structure of the patient. 
 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 12 , wherein each of the plurality of neck components comprises a length characteristic, an offset characteristic, and an anteversion characteristic, and wherein the length characteristic is independent of the offset characteristic, the offset characteristic is independent of the anteversion characteristic, and the anteversion characteristic is independent of the length characteristic. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 12 , wherein the grid coordinate system corresponding to first, second, and third implant variables associated with respective different physical characteristics of the neck components, the first implant variable corresponding to leg length, the second implant variable corresponding to offset, and the third implant variable corresponding to anteversion, with the first variable arranged along a first axis of the grid coordinate system, the second variable arranged along a second axis of the grid coordinate system which is orthogonal to the first axis, and the third variable arranged along a third axis of the grid coordinate system which is orthogonal to the first and second axes. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 12 , wherein the orthopedic stem includes a first orthopedic stem, and the reference marker represents the first orthopedic stem. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 15 , wherein the orthopedic stem includes a second orthopedic stem, and the system further comprising a second template that includes a second reference marker, the second reference marker representing the second orthopedic stem that differs in size from the first orthopedic stem. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 12 , further comprising a plurality of orthopedic implant identifiers, wherein each of the orthopedic implant identifiers is associated with one of the plurality of alternative reference points. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 17 , wherein the orthopedic implant identifiers are part of a graphical representation of the grid coordinate system. 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 17 , wherein the orthopedic implant identifiers are incorporated onto the neck components. 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 17 , wherein the grid coordinate system corresponding to first, second, and third implant variables associated with respective different physical characteristics of the neck components, the first implant variable corresponding to leg length, the second implant variable corresponding to offset, and the third implant variable corresponding to anteversion. 
     
     
       21. The system of  claim 20 , wherein said plurality of neck components includes at least one subset in which at least one of the first, second, and third implant variable is constant and at least another of the first, second, and third implant variables varies. 
     
     
       22. The system of  claim 21 , wherein the first variable is arranged along a first axis of the grid coordinate system, the second variable is arranged along a second axis of the grid coordinate system which is orthogonal to the first axis, and the third variable is arranged along a third axis of the grid coordinate system which is orthogonal to the first and second axes. 
     
     
       23. A system for facilitating selection of an orthopedic implant for implantation in an anatomical structure of a patient using an image of the anatomical structure, the system comprising:
 a template comprising a reference marker and a grid coordinate system including a plurality of reference points, the reference marker configured to locate the template and the plurality of reference points relative to the image of the anatomical structure; 
 a first orthopedic implant component; and 
 a plurality of second orthopedic implant components attachable, in the alternative, to the first orthopedic implant component, each of the plurality of second orthopedic implant components defining a physical characteristic different from another second orthopedic implant component; 
 wherein each of the plurality of reference points of the grid coordinate system is referenced to one of the plurality of second orthopedic implant components, 
 wherein the plurality of second orthopedic implant components are modular components of a hip implant system, and 
 wherein the plurality of second orthopedic implant components includes at least one subset in which at least one of a first, second, and third implant variable associated with a respective different physical characteristic of the implants is constant and at least another of the first, second, and third implant variables varies, with the first implant variable corresponding to leg length, the second implant variable corresponding to offset, and the third implant variable corresponding to anteversion.